


Pressed flowers, paint swatches and pursed lips

by gokioh



Series: Kpop One Shots [8]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, Multi, NCT Dream Ensemble-centric, No Mark Lee unfortunately, OC character - Freeform, Polyamory, Pre-Poly, Trying to understand feelings, cabin in the middle of the woods, confusing ending for now, flowers and tasks, may write a part two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:13:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23109796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gokioh/pseuds/gokioh
Summary: Really don't know how I can explain this one shot, so take it with a pinch of salt
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Series: Kpop One Shots [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653256
Kudos: 6





	Pressed flowers, paint swatches and pursed lips

[making this noremin with an oc male because i think that’s cool and i want to try out with my own characters, see how they fit in certain situations]

Jaehyuk remembered the day he found out about Renjun, Jaemin and Jeno’s relationship. He knew they were close; they cuddled a lot on the sofa back in the dorm room and they were constantly close- considering Renjun was Jaehyuk’s boyfriend. But, Jaemin was also a touchy person and Jeno was always carrying and throwing Jaehyuk around, the Dreamies were just really skin tight. 

He had walked in on another day where he was rapping in the studio and Renjun was in the Dreamies dorm because the company refused to give the Chinese boy lines, for this particular b-side (made no sense to Jaehyuk). Which was confusing, because Jaehyuk was only half Korean. Still, he had a long day and his throat was hurting because of how much he used it to rap. Taeyong told him to take it lightly and then bid him goodnight at the studio. 

The rapper just wanted to go home and cuddle Rejun whilst drinking lemon tea with honey. What he did find was Renjun pinned to the wall by Jaemin with Jeno slowly lifting up his shirt. “Argh!” Jaehyuk shouted, to gain their attention. All three jumped away from each other and saw the rapper standing there with glossy eyes. He glared at Renjun and took a step back when the younger tried to walk up to him. 

“Make yourself decent for one,” the older hissed, his dry throat making him sound croaky and dead. He turned his head to wipe his eyes. Renjun blushed, patting his hair down and pulling his shirt over his stomach. Jaehyuk coughed hard, holding his throat- Renjun took another step making the older hold a hand up. 

“Leave me alone.” He looked at Jeno and Jaemin who were looking at the ground, “and clean my room. It reeks of testosterone,” he wheezed, before coughing again, walking out and slamming the door shut. Jaehyuk spent that night crying on Doyoung hyung’s lap, he still had a room in the NCT 127 dorms but he spent most nights with the Dreamies because he was dating Renjun. 

“Hyung, they- they- hyung,” Jaehyuk cried, feeling the older pat his back. Taeil was also in the room, sitting on the bed and letting the younger cry on his boyfriends lap- he knew how close the two were. 

“Save your voice babs,” Doyoung stroke the younger’s hair. “Taeil hyung, can you get him some tea?” Taeil nodded, quickly pecking Doyoung before leaving the room. Doyoung looked down at the younger who was staring at the wall aimlessly. “Want to sleep here?”

Jaehyuk nodded and let Doyoung pull him up so that he was more comfortable. Taeil came back with the tea to find the younger fast asleep beside Doyoung who was staring at him with a pout. “What happened?” Taeil asked.

Doyoung looked up and took the tea himself, drinking it and calming his body down, “Renjun, Jaemin and Jeno seem to be… close,” he chose his words carefully. “I think he walked in on them, he’s a bit overwhelmed. Babs?” Doyoung turned to Taeil. The older hummed, lying down beside Jaehyuk and letting the younger curl himself up to the singer. “What do we do?”

Taeil looked up at Doyoung who had a frown on his face, his eyebrows furrowed and hair slightly disheveled. “We don’t do anything,” he said. Doyoung looked at Taeil with a pout, “you can’t help with this. Jaehyuk needs to learn to deal with these types of things on his own. We can just let him come and vent to us,” Taeil reached up and intertwined his hand with Doyoung’s. “Finish your tea and then get the lights, won’t you?” Doyoung nodded, watching the two people he loved fall asleep. 

***

Jaehyuk had listened to Renjun the next day. He couldn’t be mad, he knew he had to talk things out first before he made any sort of clear decision (he was planning to just give him the silent treatment but Doyoung convinced him overwise)- he was afraid of losing Renjunnie. “Let me get this straight,” Jaehyuk said, sighing and closing his eyes. His forefingers came to lightly massage his temples before he looked back up at Renjun, who was sitting opposite him. Jaemin and Jeno were standing off to the side a little, because Jaehyuk wanted them to listen but didn’t want them to interfere. 

“You’re in love with Jeno and Jaemin?” he asked. Renjun glanced at the two boys who were staring intently at Jaehyuk at that point. The young Chinese boy nodded slowly, looking back at Jaehyuk with slight guilt. The older felt his jaw jut out to the side, a sight to see when he was normally angry, “but you’re still in love with me?” he questioned.

Renjun nodded more confidently, “of course I still love you- I will always love-”

“Save it, you know I don’t like the mushy stuff Injunnie,” Jaehyuk said. He then turned his head to Jaemin and Jeno who couldn’t meet his gaze, “and the two of you.” 

Jeno was confident enough to meet his hyung’s eyes, “yes hyung?”

“You- wait no, still confused?” he tilted his head, looking at his dongsaengs. 

“We like… you?” Jaemin said, his hands were shaking to the side. 

Jaehyuk felt slightly guilty, he didn’t want to make them uncomfortable. He’d never want to make them scared, that just wasn’t him. He opened his arms out, smiling slightly when Jaemin breathed out in relief before running and hugging him tightly. “Does this mean-”

“No,” Jaehyuk said, looking at Renjun who was close to tears. “Not yet at least. I’m going to just- do research, work some stuff out. I love you three a lot. I love you both as my brothers, I need a little time,” he said, giving Jeno a smile because Jaemin was now tearing up and refused to take his head out of Jaehyuk’s shoulder. 

“Of course,” Jeno whispered back. Jaehyuk nodded and looked down at Jaemin, rolling his eyes; he simply patted the youngers back. 

***

“You’re leaving me!” Jaehyuk announced, pouting at Renjun.

Renjun simply laughed, “I’m not. It’s not my fault the company paired me up with the others,” he shrugged. Jaehyuk continued to pout, it was a couple months after the confession and he had accepted both Jeno and Jaemin. He was still uncomfortable and couldn’t take his shirt off with the two there, so having sex was a no go. Well… not with Renjun at least, (What? Sue the kid for being scared!) He spent a lot of his days with Doyoung, no surprise there, and got a lot of advice from the older. 

But anyway, the Dreamies were out camping for the weekend. Renjun was teaming up with Haechan, Jisung and Chenle whilst Jaehyuk had to stay with Jaemin and Jeno. He should be comfortable, he should’ve been confident. They were his boyfriend after all. But he just… he had never been with them without Renjun. Renjun was the glue that stuck them together and Jaehyuk wasn’t blind. 

He saw how Jeno gave him long looks and Jaemin pouted when he would sit beside Renjun instead of him. They both loved him dearly and he loved them back. But it was so hard for him to show that. It took him 4 months of dating Renjun to be comfortable with him and evenso, Renjun had started to get impatient back then. He just… he didn’t know how long it takes for them two to snap and leave him. 

Jaehyuk pouted when he walked out with Jaemin and Jeno, trailing behind as he thought about how they were going to get closer. Jeno and Jaemin were whispering amongst themselves, and even though Jaehyuk was the type to not give a shit about how he was perceived, he didn’t like the glances they were sending him.  
“Want me to carry your things hyung?” Jeno asked, blinking up at him. 

Jaehyuk really did want to say no, for one, he never let anyone carry his bags for him and also he was still uncomfortable as hell. But one look at Jeno’s face and he simply nodded. Jeno was very happy to get a rather positive response from his hyun- boyfriend. 

Jaehyuk looked up at the sky and hissed, “what am I doing? Seriously, give me a sign. I beg of you, I’ll do whatever you say-”

“Hyung what are you doing?” Jaemin asked.

Jaehyuk flinched, jumping a little, before he glared at Jaemin. “I’m having a very private conversation with the Man upstairs, not leave me!” he exclaimed, before looking back up at the sky. “Sorry about him. Now where was I? Oh right, a sign. I’d like a sign please sir, like I’ve never done anything bad in my life- okay so there was that one time I pulled my sisters hair- but that’s beside the point! I really need help this time, so you just gotta help me alright?” Jaehyuk closed his eyes and then sighed out loud. “By the end of the day, before I go to sleep. Give me a sign okay? Anything, I’ll be on the lookout okay?!” Jaehyuk pointed at the sky before nodding and returning to his walk. 

His eyes were fixated on the road ahead, whilst the camera crew, general staff and Nomin watched the boy with amusement. “Seriously, any sign… any time too,” Jaehyuk whispered to himself, looking around the barren field and desolate countryside. 

***

The idea of the missions set for the separated dream members was for them to try and complete set tasks and gain points. The other Dreamies would all meet up tomorrow morning, and the team with the most points would get to decide the punishment for the other team (Jaehyuk had a feeling it was probably going to be the usual ‘slave for a day’ kind deal) and the winners would get a prize from the crew. 

Jaehyuk had seen the tasks set for the three of them and smiled when he saw that some of them could be completed individually. “I’ll go and find the flowers,” Jaehyuk said, taking a piece of paper with ten different types of flowers printed on.  
“I can help too, hyung,” Jaemin smiled.

Jaehyuk gave him an even bigger smile, “actually!” he almost shouted, “Jeno’s going to be building a fire, so that probably needs more muscle power. I’ll be fine on my own!” he laughed too loudly for it to be deemed sane and stalked off with half the crew following him. Jaehyuk sighed out loud and looked back at the camera, “I need to find my sign from the Man upstairs. I can’t just have Jaemin walk in on some precious me time,” he quickly lied. Probably one of the worst excuses he’s possibly made. But then again, maybe it being over-exaggerated was enough for the crew to not judge him?

When it got down to it, Jaehyuk kind of wish that he had Jaemin with him. He was sitting in a garden field with thousands of different flowers surrounding him and having help from someone who was good at spotting things, would come in helpful. Jaehyuk shook his head, he had a mission to do that he set himself. Stay away from Jaemin and Jeno. Not in a bad way, just enough that he would be able to reflect on himself for a bit. 

Jaehyul turned to the camera, after crossing off his fourth flower, only six more to go. “I think that being out here, in the gardens but also just away from everything is good. It’s refreshing,” he explained. “I can just reflect on myself you know? There’s no one to disturb me and I don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Does that include the NCT members?” the PD in charge of the show asked. Jaehyuk looked back at them and shrugged.

“I love my members, but sometimes I just want to be alone you know? I’ve always been alone, for most of my life. And then I debuted in 2018 and now I have a family that love me. I love them too,” he smiled. “But I guess, just sitting out here, surrounded by nature. It reminds me of when I was a trainee, sitting by the SM garden and just being alone. I think there’s a rare beauty in those times that I wished I did more of,” he shrugged sadly. Then with his brows furrowed, Jaehyuk looked back at the PD-nim. 

“Do you have some paper?” he asked.

“Yes?” they handed the boy their notepad and Jaehyuk bowed, tanking them. “What are you doing?”

Jaehyuk smiled, “new lyrics.” He ripped out the paper and folded it, placing it carefully in his pocket and then returning to the task at hand, with a new found sense of energy. “Let’s go find us some flowers!” 

***

By the time that Jaehyuk had made it back to his cabin in the woods, god that sounded so terrible, the fire was made and the other tasks were taken care of. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here earlier!” Jaehyuk exclaimed, putting all the flowers on the ground and running the to the tasks sheet. They had all been ticked off, “I just- it took a long time to find the flowers I swear. I didn’t- I’ll make it up to you guys, I promise-”

“Hyung it’s fine,” Jeno laughed. 

“Come and sit with us, the fires all warm,” Jaemin said, patting the seat beside him. Right in the middle of a Nomin sandwich. 

Jaehyuk simply nodded and sat down between them, resting his chin on his knees as he stared at the fire with a pout. “I really wanted to come earlier. But finding those flowers, and in a garden full of so many… I’m really sorry. You could have called me, I could have come and help-”

“Hyung,” Jeno laughed, hugging him from the side, “It’s fine,” he assured. 

Jaehyuk turned and stared at Jeno, “but it’s not fine. It’s not going to be fine.”

Crap, Jaehyuk thought. The atmosphere suddenly dropped and Jaemin was silent from beside him. “I- I could’ve at least helped with food!” Jaehyuk shouted, pulling himself out of Jeno’s grip and racing to the warm food by the side. He almost grimaced at all the meat. “You guys only grilled meat?”

“We left you a vegetarian option hyung, sorry… we didn’t know how to make it though.” 

Jaehyuk waved the younger off, “thank you!” he called out. He sat by the table, eating his food silently and very slowly, thinking about how much more fun it probably would have been if he hadn’t opened his mouth. Or how much fun Renjun was having with Chenle, Jisung and Haechan. 

“Oh the witty pair with the babies…” he pouted and continued his green mush. The time for dinner had sped up with the bite that Jaehyuk took. “How fun…”

“Hyung, we’re gonna head to bed,” Jeno said. 

“Whatever,” Jaehyuk said, but he was immediately consumed with guilt. “I mean- I’ll clean up. Have a nice night!” he tried to smile, but it came out too forced. 

“Ri- right hyung,” Jaemin replied, grabbing Jeno’s arm and pulling him into the cabin. 

Jaehyuk looked over at the camera crew and watched as they packed up. His manager walked up to him with a confused face, “you alright Jaehyuk? You’re not acting yourself.”

“I know manager-nim. I don’t really know what's wrong with me. I think it’s the different environment. Once I'm used to it, I think I’ll return back to my normal self,” he assured. He hated lying to his manager, but ever since he became an NCT member, he seemed to be doing that a lot. Lying to his manager, about his health, his mentality, his capabilities. Jaehyuk continued to lie and lie but he just didn’t want to be worried over.

“Well if you need anything, you can tell me alright?”

“Of course…” Jaehyuk thought it over. “Where’s the other cabin? With Renjun and them lot?” he asked. 

His manager looked off the trail, “it’s on the other side of the field. Follow the trail with the purple flowers, get to the entrance and then continue to walk through the second path that wasn’t ours. They’re pretty far…. why?”

Jaehyuk shook his head, “are they beating us in the mission?”

HIs manager laughed, “I don’t know for sure.” Jaehyuk playfully squinted his eyes at his manager who laughed louder, “I wouldn’t tell even if I did.”

“So you do!” 

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.”

“Manager-nim,” the teen whined, “stop being confusing. My little brain can’t understand.” 

His manager playfully ruffled his hair, making it fall in all different directions, before standing up, “get some sleep Jaehyuk. You have to wake up early tomorrow, we have an alarm set up.”

Jaehyuk groaned, “that’s so not fair.” 

“Life isn’t, we just live with it.” With that ‘ray of sunshine’ advice given to the younger, the manager walks off to their own cabin with the rest of the crew members. Jaehyuk sits back down on the logs, with his hands facing the fire that was still settling. He stayed there for a couple hours, until there were only light embers and then returned to the cabin. He tried to be as silent as he could, but he found that he really didn’t need to. 

“Seriously, it’s like I live with a bunch of cats in heat,” he muttered, hearing Jaemin’s soft whines and a squeaking noise coming from the only bedroom.  
There were three beds in there, but Jaehyuk remembered Jaemin pushing them all together when they first arrived. He scrunched his face up thinking about having to sleep in a dirty bed. “The sofa,” he looked down at the hard sofa with no blanket and sighed. “You are my only friend,” he whispered, laying down on the uncomfortable piece of furniture. 

“Jae-Jaehyuk,” Jaemin moaned. 

Jaehyuk’s eyes widened and he sat up quickly. Looking in direction of the bedroom door, “this is so weird,” he whispered to himself. “Wait no- I’m also their boyfriend, this shouldn’t be weird.”

“He’s not here Jaemin,” Jeno said. 

Jaehyuk furrowed his brows, “still weird. Stop saying my name you weirdo’s,” he silently mouthed into the night air. 

“I know I just- nngh Jenoooo,” Jaemin drew out. “I feel bad.” 

“Why though?”

“He’s not here,” Jaemin cried, and then a few silent muffled whines came out and Jaehyuk found his body heating up. Not in a very pleasant way. “He won’t be, Jeno- what if he never will?”

“I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about him. Not now, not when I have you being all pretty for me. Just don’t talk about. Don’t even think about him. He doesn’t want this, he made that clear.”

“Found it,” Jaehyuk said, his voice a little louder and a little braver. He stood up and stepped out of the cabin, his boots slipped on quickly and his hands thumbling for his phone. Tears pricked in the corner of his eyes, but he didn’t want to cry. He wasn’t going to, “pick up!” he shouted, now running down the familiar trail with purple flowers.

“Mmm, hello?” a tired Renjun called into the phone. 

Jaehyuk felt his eyes tear up more until a rolled down his cheek, “Renjunnie?” he sniffed. 

“Jaehyuk? Baby, what are you doing… at 2 in the morning?”

“It’s 2 already?” JAehyuk looked down at his watch and realised that yes, it was two o clock in the morning. “I’m sorry. I’m coming over to you, so keep the door open will you?”

“Huh?”

“Renjun just please,” he cried, letting his tears fall and chest heave out. “I just need you okay?”

“Ok- okay. Yeah, sure- on sec-” Jaehyuk continued to run. Finding that when he was in the dark, the scary idea of a murderer being out to kill him fuelled him with enough energy to get him to sprint. He got to the entrance in record speed before he started on the next trail, to Renjun’s cabin. “Where are you?”

“I’ll be there,” he said. 

“Why are you panting? Are you running here?!” the younger questioned.

“I’m crying, I’m cold and I want to be in your arms. Do not judge me at a time like this!” 

He heard Renjun chuckle on the other side of the phone and felt himself breath in deeply and with ease. His chest feeling less and less constricted and heavy, but lighter with Renjun. Because Renjun was home, he was familiar territory. He wasn’t new and Jaehyuk needed something not new right now. So as soon as Renjun’s cabin made it in his line of sight, he cut the phone and continued to run. 

Almost tackled Renjun at the door and cried into the boy’s shoulder. Renjun looked up at his boyfriend with a small concerned smile, “Jaehyuk? Sweet, wanna tell me what’s wrong?”Jaehyuk shook his head. Renjun looked up at his taller boyfriend, “wanna sleep with me?” Jaehyuk nodded, letting Renjun guide him to his room. There were two beds, on one side situated Chenle and the other was empty. 

“Donghyuck and Jisung are in the other room, want water or anything?” Renjun asked. 

“You,” Jaehyuk mumbled. 

Renjun smiled and nodded, letting the older slip off his heavier clothing and then crawl into his bed. Renjun followed before a creak came from the other side of the room. Jaehyuk and Renjun both looked over to Chenle’s bed, who sat up and rubbed his eyes tiredly before yawning. 

“Jaehyuk hyung?” Chenle called, looking over at the older. 

“Hi baby, need anything?” Jaehyuk asked.

“Nope, why are you here?” 

Jaehyuk looked over at Renjun for help, “because he needs me. Sometimes we just need each other, Chenle.”

Chenle blinked, looking a little more awake, “do you need me hyung?” Jaehyuk looked back at Renjun and shrugged.

“Alright.”

Chenle nodded and got up, waiting for Renjun to slip in and become comfy before he just straight up jumped into their bed and flopped his body over Jaehyuk’s. “Oof, don’t you want the duvet? Chenle?” Jaehyuk and Renjun both chuckled when they reaslied that Chenle had fallen back asleep.

“You sure you’re alright?” Renjun whispered into the night.

“...No.”

“Was it Jaemin and Jeno?”

Jaehyuk bit his lip, “yes and no,” he turned his head and looked at his boyfriend. “What if I’m not enough Renjun?”

“You’re more than enough, I think they’re just a little confused because you said yes… but you haven’t done anything yet.”

Jaehyuk nodded and stared back up at the ceiling, “what if I just can’t do anything?”

“You did the same with me. I gave you time, my sweet.” Renjun turned over and kissed Jaehyuk’s shoulder, closing his eyes and letting his tiredness wash over him. 

“What if I’m running out of time.”

Renjun hummed, “then maybe it’s a sign.” Jaehyuk’s eyes widened. Renjun yawned, “night love.”

“...uh yeah- goodnight.”

**Author's Note:**

> should i write a part two? if so, what ending would you like??


End file.
